Artificial Intelligence Could Revolutionize Eye Health

The 57th National Congress of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society, representing Turkish eye physicians, is being held in Antalya between 8-12 November 2023 with the support of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society Erzurum Trabzon Branch. Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran, General President of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society, stated that artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to revolutionize the field of eye health in early diagnosis, disease prediction, and improvement of treatment processes. The Turkish Ophthalmological Society (TOD), in its 95th year of establishment, organizes educational activities and events as one of Turkey's most established professional organizations to enhance the professional skills and experience of Turkish ophthalmologists. The association conducts numerous training seminars throughout the year, while the National Ophthalmology Congress serves as TOD's most important scientific activity. The scientific program of the 57th National Congress includes panels, courses, round-table meetings, interactive sessions, video presentations, oral presentations and poster sessions, international junior ophthalmologist sessions, UKOK panels and industry satellite meetings, as well as discussions on what future diagnostic and treatment methods might be in the context of developing technology. The congress includes seminars under different headings related to eye diseases and treatment methods. Experts examine the effects of new technologies on diagnostic and treatment methods and eye health.

Artificial intelligence plays a key role in creating personalized treatment methods

Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran, General President of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society, shared that ophthalmology has benefited significantly from artificial intelligence applications. He stated that artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to create a revolution in eye health in early diagnosis, disease prediction, and improvement of treatment processes. Ziya Kapran continued as follows: "Automated image analysis systems used in detecting common vision disorders such as diabetic retinopathy can, through artificial intelligence, learn from large datasets and analyze retinal layer photographs with accuracy equivalent to or sometimes better than physicians. These systems detect microscopic changes in blood vessels, nerve fibers, and other anatomical structures, opening the door to early intervention. Another advantage offered by artificial intelligence in the management of eye diseases is paving the way for personalized medicine. Particularly in individuals with genetic predisposition, algorithms that can model disease progression can develop patient-specific risk assessment and early warning systems. These algorithms, by processing large amounts of patient data, can determine which treatment method is most suitable for which patient. This makes the treatment of eye diseases more effective and efficient. In this way, artificial intelligence plays a key role in guiding treatment and creating personalized treatment plans."

Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran, noting that the transparency of decision-making processes in artificial intelligence systems, data privacy, and possible errors in algorithms raise questions about the reliability and acceptability of this technology, concluded his remarks as follows:

"The creation of broad and diverse datasets required to train these systems necessitates the collection of sufficient data from different ethnic groups and geographies, which is a challenge in itself. Therefore, the success of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology will be possible not only through technological development, but also through the strengthening of ethical standards, data sharing policies, and international collaboration.